Tuesday, October 27, 2009

MACARONS - THE DARING BAKERS

The end of the month is once again on our doorstep and time has come for all of us lovers of flour, eggs and sugar to post our Daring Bakers latest creations to date...

Can you believe that this is the 25th consecutive challenge that I complete as A Daring Baker (2 years and one month as a member)? Incredible! Sometimes, I amaze myself with my voluntarism and capacity to never call it a day even if I'd love to do so. It is a real miracle that such a pessimistic fraidy-cat like me like me is able to gather enough strenghth in order not to throw the towel when my baking skills are being put to the test. I am able to prove that I can surpass myself, jump over my shadow and confront my fears with much perseverance and determination...

Some of you might remember that in December 2008, I had made my very first "Macarons" with my friend Jessica from Maryland (USA) and wrote about how that French speciality always filled me with apprehension and how scared I was at the idea of trying to compare with people who mastered the art of making "Macarons" to the perfection, yet how, at the end, we found them not as daunting as we imagined...

Well, to tell you the truth, this time around, I wasn't as relaxed as I wished to be considering the fact that it would not be my very first time with that speciality.Unfortunately I was as scared of getting started as if it had been when I made my inaugural batch of "Macarons" batch. What made me uncomfortable was the fact that "Macarons" are notoriously tricky to make and testing an unknown recipe made me even feel more edgier. Silly girl! Sometimes I can be really stupid, but nevermind.

Anyway, no matter how uneasy I felt about going through the whole process of making "Macarons" again, I promised myself that they were going to look better than the first time around and that I would forever put an end to my "Macarons" angst. The result was surprinsingly very exciting and with my fears put aside, I instantly understood why people can't stop carrying on about those cute little sugar gems-

As we were free to use the flavorings of our choice for our "Macarons", I decided to add some vanilla sugar to the delightfully almond-tasting macaron shells and make an "Orange, Cinnamon & Cubeb Pepper Buttercream" as filling. Heavenly!Apart from having the most luscious aroma, my "Macarons" also had the most perfect texture I had ever come across. They weren't shallow, were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. A macaron-lover's dream!I wish to thank Amy S. at "Baking Without Fear" (USA) for choosing this awesome recipe! I really enjoyed making "Macarons" and was so happy to get a little training in order to perfect my skills.~ Vanilla Macarons With Orange, Cinnamon & Cubeb Pepper Buttercream ~Recipe taken from Claudia Fleming’s "The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern".

Macaron Shells

Yields 10 dozen macarons

Preparation time:Not taking into account the amount of time it takes for you to bring your egg whites to room temperature, the whole baking process, including making the batter, piping and baking will probably take you about an hour to an hour and a half.

Ingredients:225g (2 1/4 Cups) Confectioners’/Icing sugar190g (2 Cups) Almond flour25g (2Tbs) Granulated sugar5 Egg whites, at room temperatureDirections:1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).6. Let the macaron rest for 30-60 minutes.7. Bake the macaron for 17-20 minutes at 150° C (302° F)8. Cool on a rack before filling.

Method:1. Cream the butter until pale and smooth.2. Add the sugar and spices. Incorporate.3. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy.4. Fill the macarons.Remarks:This buttercream melts, so keep your macarons in the fridge.The macarons will be better the next day, so don't eat them straight away!Additional information:David Lebovitz breaks it down.More macaroon 411.Get inspired by our own Tartlette!Go behind the scenes of Paulette.Watch a pro pipe macaroons.Beating egg whites.

Wow, you're so talented and I admire your perseverence in never missing a challenge! I tried this before I went to Italy and things didn't work out at all, then was feeling too ill to remake them! Your macaroons are truly amazing and I just adore the filling.

Rosa, you always make me laugh! I am drawn into your wonderful storytelling, telling how you approach the challenge, how you are nervous and then jump right in. And you always lead me to believe that a mediocre result will follow, only to be amazed at the beauty of your pastry making! As always! I do always expect perfection from you and what stunning macarons you have given us! Wonderful, intriguing flavors!

I am so happy that you had complete success with this recipe, they came our perfect! I love your flavor combination, that is my favorite part of making these treats, one can be so creative and in your case, one cannot go wrong with vanilla and orange with a touch of spice!

Rosa, your macarons are a work of art!! I just joined Daring Bakers, and haven't yet baked my first challenge item, which is due to be posted tomorrow! I am feeling like a 'fraidy-cat about how it will turn out. Your perseverance gives me inspiration to just barrel ahead and get it cone. Thanks Rosa!